The piano virtuosos of Universidad de Chile are taking to the stage every Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. this month at Santiago’s Centro Cultural Gabriela Mistral (GAM). The series aims to be a celebration of the instrument, and features performances by professors and special guests of the university’s Department of Music and Sonology.

The department decided to dedicate a full month to piano performance as a reflection of the instrument’s long tradition at the university, according Director Luis Orlandini. In addition to being an opportunity to hear some excellent music at a beautiful venue, Orlandini says the series is a good introduction to the instrument, and can “generate a representative overview of this fundamental instrument in the hands of performers at the highest artistic level.”

Next week’s show on October 23 will feature a performance by Jorge Pepi-Alos, an Argentinian-born pianist and current professor of at the Department of Music and Sonology. Pepi-Alos will perform pieces by Joseph Haydn, Aaron Copland, and Robert Schumann. The final show on October 30 will feature celebrated Uruguayan pianist Raquel Boldorini, who will close the series with work from Muzio Clementi, Claude Debussy, and Robert Schumann.

According to Orlandini, the art of piano playing has a long history in Chile, which drives the study of the instrument in the country today.

“The piano is a pillar in Western music, and in our country there is an important tradition that dates back to the nineteenth century, and in the last century developed figures such as Rosita Renard and Claudio Arrau [two world-famous Chilean pianists]. It’s this story that makes the piano in the 21st century alive and very active,” said Orlandini.

The piano series takes place every Tuesday in October at 7:00 p.m. in GAM Room A1, located at Alameda 227. Tickets are US$6.35 (CLP$3000) for the general public, and US$4.20 (CLP$ 2000) for students and seniors.